Because the Elephant Made Her Smile

Unexpectedly, you might see something, somewhere that gets your attention.

This something makes you say, "Oooh...I have no reason to have this thing, but I like this thing and it makes me feel happy looking at it."

It has no true practical purpose, but it makes you smile. And that...that can be more valuable than anything practical, can't it?

A colleague saw a stuffed elephant on an antique show and said it made her think of me and some of the felt creatures I sometimes make. She found a similar one online (scroll down to "Little Elephant") to what she'd seen on the program and sent me the link, saying she grinned everytime she thought of it.

So of course, I had to make my own version. In this photo, the maroon one is tuskless, but I added tusks last night and now it is sitting at her desk with my co-worker. The grey one belongs to Steinvic, because it was my first attempt and that makes it the most special one...

Such a small, felty little creature actually made a grown woman skip across the department to give me a hug.

And that is worth all the tiny hand stitches in the World...

Best Intentions

I totally believed I'd post here this past weekend, and I didn't. I did sleep in a little bit each day, and I did wake and clean and organize some cabinets. I did sew and cook and dust. I spent time with Steinvic.

But I didn't post here.

There are some things that are going on that I would like to write about. But there are some things that are too difficult to write about.

My poetry guru would tell me to write about it even if I was too close to it. Even if I didn't let another soul read it now.

But I can't.

Steinvic and I are fine. Closer than ever. But someone we love deeply is in real trouble and our family is trying to get a grasp on it.

It doesn't seem right to write about it now. And yet, I can hardly think of anything else.

So...just for tonight, take some time to actually count your blessings. Hug everyone you love extra close. Thank G*d for your sanity, your health and a solid roof over your head. We are so lucky...

Blog Express

I've been away too long, I know. So, let me make it up to you with an all-encompassing, express version of a T&T post:

• It is snowing like a mutha here. Steinvic is outside right now, shoveling. Bless him! (Yes, I offered to help...) I got out of work a tiny bit early today and Steinvic worked from home, so I got in and started cooking a big pot of potato soup right away. He'd gone out lunch to get a pizza (for lunch plus leftover's sake) and to restock our bar, so we're ready for the SIX DEGREE weather we're due for over the next few days...


• I'm crafty in addition to the soup-making. I'm making a pouch for our secretary at work and plan to stop off for a few $1 scratchoffs to slip into it on my way in to work. You know, because battling the freezing cold and snow won't be enough to do on my way in! But I know it will make her day and someone needs to do something nice for the person who answers 9578373897538 phone calls for us each day. I also made her a Valentine's tree to put on her desk.


• I have been embarking on a whole foods revolution and enjoying Susan Powter's online radio shows this week. Tune in if you want to be inspired and learn about how to live healthily. She is a trail blazer for sure...she's been doing it forever but it's time for a revival...


• We miss Arizona. We miss our family and friends and the blue skies and non-coat-weather. We love so much about Ohio, but there is something about the simplicity and low-key vibe there.

And that, my friends, is a wrap. More tomorrow and this weekend, for sure, because we will be INSIDE staying warm! Definitely time for updates...

Home Again

We are back in town, babies...honeymoon supposedly over, winter upon us, Ohio time and jet lag a reality. I have to work in the morning, but Steinvic wisely took tomorrow off. After all, it is always the day after the day after our return home that kicks our hineys with the time change...

We had a great time and it is hard to believe that it's over... The family time is always the best part. We had a rocking party with the aunts, uncles and cousins the night before we left and that made the flight back a little rough. But all worth it...we will all remember the photos, the drinks and good conversation.

Tomorrow is a new day. Tonight is tortellini, homemade sauce, laundry and getting organized. And thinking about our good fortune. We have plenty to be thankful for...

Honeymooning

Well, hello there! I am fine... Thanks for asking. Right now, I am curled up in bed, trying to decide if I have stayed inside these blankets long enough and if it is time to start my day. That's the thing about vacation - knowing just the right balance of doing fun things and truly resting, since rest seldom happens at home.
We traveled all day Friday, getting to our Ohio airport around 1 p.m. and finally arriving in Phoenix close to midnight. We woke early on Saturday to pack the car for a gorgeous drive to Vegas. We did not push ourselves like we normally would and were instead happy to stay on "our end" of the Strip. Steinvic and I gambled a little, won a little, shopped a little and had several fabulous meals thanks to our generous hosts (Aunt & Uncle) who have enough comps to entertain a small village! We shared an apartment-sized suite with them (not kidding... It had three bathrooms!) and got to dine at the hotel's exclusive steakhouse. What does a pescaterian eat at a steakhouse, you ask? Lovely crabcakes and a tableside-made Caeser salad. Yum!
We drove back to Phoenix Monday and just relaxed yesterday, doing a little grocery shopping and laundry, and enjoying a stop at a favorite pub for a drink and a sandwich...
Guess I will get up and start our day...even being lazy, you can't beat these Arizona skies...especially with snow on the ground back home!

We Are Sick, We Are Sick, We Are Sick, Sick, Sick...

Happy New Year! We didn't decide to begin 2011 with mega-colds, but that is exactly what has happened, despite the hand washing, sanitizing, disinfectant spraying and even a night in separate beds - I really didn't want Steinvic to get this!!


So now the goal becomes getting well before we leave for Phoenix. I'm definitely on the mend - still snorting around a little, but my energy level is way better and I'm not taking any cold medicine except Zicam now. But poor Steinvic is in the "zapped" stage of this funk and so he is still sleeping right now...or should I say, finally sleeping.


We did go out briefly last night, mostly because we'd vowed to bring the recipient of the spinach dip a serving of kraut and potatoes so he'd have luck this year, and because another friend who we haven't seen in months was going to be at our local. Plus, we were getting stir crazy from being home and just wanted to get cleaned up and feel some fresh air in our lungs.

Early on, the conversation turned to Smashburgers. Have you had one? Apparently, they are fantastic. Suddenly, Steinvic perked up and said that a hamburger sounded awesome. That isn't what we'd planned on for dinner, but as soon as I saw that he was actually interested in food, I volunteered to run and get him one, and then take us home. I picked up one for another friend of ours, too. The little restaurant was hopping...it smelled like the hamburgers my Dad would make in the skillet for us when I was a kid. All the food I saw come out of the kitchen while I waited for their carry out order looked delicious. If they'd had any vegetarian sandwich options on the menu, I'd have ordered something for myself, too! Ten minutes, $15 (not too shabby, actually, for two 1/3 lb. burgers, an order of fries and an order of haystack onions) and two carefully divided and labeled to go bags later, I was on my way back to our local to pick up my poor Steinvic and get him home. He said the burger was excellent and I hadn't really seen him eat very much since he got this cold, and he cleaned his plate, so there is your Smashburger testimonial from Steinvic!

I'm in the process of washing everything in the house and also restoring it to a pre-Christmas state. I like coming home from vacation to a well-organized house where all we have to do is take our suitcases down to our utility room and unload them into the washing mashine. So, it's a busy time but I sure don't mind...I'm feeling better now and so I've got the energy. And I can't wait to get to Phoenix to see our family and have a whole week with Steinvic. This will be the first time we've seen everyone from out there since we got married - they just couldn't make that extra trip to Ohio so late in the year and we totally understood that...not a cheap trip!

But I sure have had some crazy dreams. One productive one, though...last night, Steinvic couldn't get comfortable so we went to the basement (it's finished, lovely and his recliner is down there, and also the futon was still made up as a bed from when the kids were here...I told you, I've been working on it!) because he'd have options of where to sleep, and I could be close by in case he needed something (yep, he is really THAT sick). I saw that Young Man's Girlfriend left a necklace on the coffee table and it must have triggered something in my brain, because I had dreams about jewelry I used to own all night and when I woke up this morning, knew just where the box I packed them in was hiding the guest room. I'd completely forgotten about it. It's not valuable...just costume jewelry from when I used to work in a clothing store. I went right to the box and found some really cool things that I know I will wear again and some that I will probably give to Girlfriend and to a nice lady at work who makes her own jewelry and would enjoy taking some of the items apart and turning them into something else.


Here is one of the finds from this morning's treasure recovery:



...and yeah, that would be one of the things I'm keeping for me and plan to wear right away! Isn't it neat?

Now I'm off to put more laundry in and make something hot to drink...OH! If you find yourself sick, buy some Zicam. IT WORKS!!